About this episode

This episode explores the neuroscience of grief and provides science-based tools for adaptive grieving.

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explain the neuroscience of grief, including how the brain maps relationships across three dimensions — space, time, and closeness — and why losing someone requires a remapping of those neural circuits. I describe how grief differs from depression, the role of oxytocin in driving yearning after a loss, and why people move through grief at different rates. I also discuss science-based tools for grieving adaptively, including how to access feelings of attachment while decoupling them from episodic memory. Finally, I explain how foundational biology — particularly sleep and cortisol rhythms — shapes our capacity to navigate the grieving process. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Grief (00:01:47) Myths of Grief, Kubler-Ross & fMRI (00:03:56) Brain Mapping Experiment, Proximity (00:07:05) Inferior Parietal Lobule; Space, Time & Closeness (00:09:20) Episodic Memory & Remapping After Loss (00:11:28) Sponsor: Eight Sleep (00:14:21) Tool: Dedicated Time, Counterfactual…

Sponsors

AG1, LMNT, Eight Sleep

More episodes of Huberman Lab

• Peptides: The Science, Uses & Safety | Dr. Abud Bakri · June 1, 2026 · 2h 49m
• Build Muscle, Great Posture & Resilience to Injury | Jeff Cavaliere · May 25, 2026 · 2h 17m
• Essentials: The Science of Learning & Speaking Languages | Dr. Eddie Chang · May 21, 2026 · 33 min
• How to Overcome Social Anxiety | Dr. Nick Epley · May 18, 2026 · 2h 31m
• Essentials: Understanding & Controlling Aggression · May 14, 2026 · 38 min
• Master Self Control & Overcome Procrastination | Dr. Kentaro Fujita · May 11, 2026 · 2h 28m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Huberman Lab podcast page.